Our Insiders' Article

Intro

We cannot talk about Josephine without mentioning the inspiration behind it: Josephine Baker, a US born performer that took the French nationality in 1937. Josephine Baker was all about mixture. A mix of skin color (Afro-American) and culture (French-American). And “mix” is the perfect word to describe the bar. Josephine is a mix of 3 different concepts(bar+ restaurant / mini club / tattoo salon), located in the mixed area of Belleville (French / African / Chinese), where great mixes are served (cocktails / fusion food).

Layout

It all started with a mix of ideas coming from 3 friends. Jean, the wine and food connoisseur , Ludo, the décor specialist who also owns the restaurant Cannibal around the corner, and Sebastien, the tattoo artist in charge of the Sphinx private tattoo salon.Bringing all those ideas and experience together gave birth to Josephine Cave Parisienne (official name)in January 2013. The owners modestly want to call it an excellent neighborhood bar, but in fact it’s much more! First, you enter the cocktail bar / restaurant. On the left, a door will take you to the mini-club and behind all that is the tattoo salon.

Drinks

In a place with a mix of wonderful ideas and ambiances, one could only expect great cocktail mixes. Rest assured, Josephine does not disappoint! Although the service might put your patience to the test (elaborate cocktails cannot be made in a snap), it’s well worth the wait as the 10 cocktails listed on the menu are all very tempting! Classic cocktails such as the Porno Star Martini are served for 10€, but do try the signature cocktails such as the Josephine or the Little Belleville – a mix of North Africa (orange blossom) and Asia (ginger) just like the Belleville district. 2 or 3 cocktails on the menu change at each turn of a season.

Food

Coming from the Josephine, would you be surprised to know that the food served in the 1st part of the bar is a mix of French and American cuisine? Indeed, Jean, the wine and food connoisseur had the idea of serving a mixture of fine French Sud-Ouest (southwestern) platters (cheese, dried meats etc.) and American specialties (burgers, french-fries…). So after having spent a few hours dancing in the mini-club, take a well deserved break and “refuel” with great tasting food in the restaurant.

Decor

Hats off to Ludo for his stylish and elegant décor. A wooden bar and stools, pictures of the tattoos Sebastien previously created hang on the walls and high shelves filled full of bottles all create the cozy ambiance of Josephine. Not to mention the small discrete door separating the restaurant and the mini-club. Although it’s not a speak-easy bar per say, Josephine does resemble that type of bar in many ways. The dim lights and elegance of this classy venue make it very cozy and warm.

Ambiance

Hamza, the bar manager, confirms that although there are many events and after-shows happening at Josephine (Yves Saint Laurent’s end of fashion week get-together for example), everyone is invited and there is rarely a queue outside. And who knows, you might bump into famous tattoo artists, musicians or designers if you are lucky. There is a very small and very… red smoking room. Just so you know, if you end up in the kitchen while looking for the smoking room, you took the wrong way. Don’t worry! You’re not the only one: many smokers wrongly end up in the kitchen each night…

Conclusion

Mathieu, the artistic director, usually starts off the week by playing lounge music, but as the week comes to a close, electro-rock takes the lead in order to allow guests to dance in the mini club. So whatever you do, be it dining, drinking, dancing or getting a tattoo, don’t get mixed up! It’s a perfect place to be in order to spend a nice evening.